2020 SEASON: Played in 12 games, seeing action on offense and special teams, and had 12 receptions for 114 yards (9.5 avg.) and a TD…Was sidelined for four games (concussion)…Was inactive for both postseason contests (healthy scratch)…At Minnesota (Sept. 13): Appeared on 12 snaps on offense and 13 on special teams…Vs. Detroit (Sept. 20): Played 16 snaps on offense and 16 on special teams…At New Orleans (Sept. 27): Played 20 snaps and posted the first catches of his career in the regular season, hauling in three passes for 36 yards (12.0 avg.). His first grab came early in the fourth quarter as he made a catch in the flat and took it took the sideline for a 12-yard pickup. Later in the quarter, made a back-shoulder catch for a career-long 23-yard gain to the New Orleans 31 on a scoring drive that would put Green Bay ahead, 37-27…Vs. Atlanta (Oct. 5): Played 14 snaps on offense and four on special teams…At Tampa Bay (Oct. 18): Appeared on 20 plays on offense and two on special teams…At Houston (Oct. 25): Played 20 snaps on offense and posted his first career regular-season TD catch, coming across the field to make a left-handed grab for a 3-yard score early in the second quarter…Vs. Minnesota (Nov. 1): Appeared on 28 plays on offense and posted a career-high 46 receiving yards on three catches (15.3 avg.), including a career-long 27-yarder down to the Minnesota 7 with just under three minutes remaining in the game that set up a WR Davante Adams TD catch on the next play…At San Francisco (Nov. 5): Played 18 snaps and had a 1-yard reception…Vs. Jacksonville (Nov. 15): Played 20 snaps on offense and five on special teams…At Indianapolis (Nov. 22): Played 16 snaps on offense and 10 on special teams, posting three receptions for 23 yards (7.7 avg.)…Vs. Chicago (Nov. 29): Appeared on 16 plays on offense and five on special teams and posted a 5-yard reception. Also recorded his first career kickoff return, an 8-yarder late in the first half…Vs. Philadelphia (Dec. 6): Played three snaps on offense and one on special teams before exiting the game in the second quarter (concussion)…At Detroit (Dec. 13): Inactive (concussion)…Vs. Carolina (Dec. 19): Inactive (concussion)…Vs. Tennessee (Dec. 27): Inactive (concussion)…At Chicago (Jan. 3): Inactive (concussion)…Vs. L.A. Rams (NFC Divisional, Jan. 16): Inactive (healthy scratch)…Vs. Tampa Bay (NFC Championship, Jan. 24): Inactive (healthy scratch).
2019: Appeared in six games with one start and posted two tackles on special teams...Was inactive (healthy scratch) for two contests...Played in both playoff games with one start and had three receptions for 15 yards (5.0 avg.) and a TD while adding a tackle on special teams…Was on injured reserve (ankle) for the first eight games of the season before being activated on Nov. 2...Was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 3…At L.A. Chargers (Nov. 3): Made his NFL debut, appearing on one snap on offense and 11 on special teams…Vs. Carolina (Nov. 10): Posted a tackle on special teams…At N.Y. Giants (Dec. 1): Registered a tackle on special teams…Vs. Washington (Dec. 8): Made his first NFL start as the Packers opened with three TEs. Played six snaps on offense and three on special teams…Vs. Seattle (NFC Divisional, Jan. 12): Made a 2-yard reception near the sideline late in the second quarter and drew a face-mask penalty on DE Jadeveon Clowney. Added a tackle on special teams…At San Francisco (NFC Championship, Jan. 19): Started as the Packers opened up with two tight ends, appearing on 11 plays and posting two receptions for 13 yards (6.5 avg.) and a TD. Midway through the third quarter, freed himself from LB Fred Warner in the back of the end zone to make a 9-yard TD catch from QB Aaron Rodgers as Rodgers rolled to his right. Became just the second rookie tight end in franchise history (Richard Rodgers, 2014 postseason vs. Dallas) to catch a TD pass in a playoff game…2019 Draft: Selected by the Packers in the third round (No. 75 overall), becoming the highest-drafted tight end by Green Bay since Franks in 2000 (No. 14 overall). Became the highest-drafted TE out of Texas A&M since Martellus Bennett was selected in the second round (No. 61 overall) in 2008 by the Dallas Cowboys.
COLLEGE: Attended three different schools, playing one season each at Texas A&M (2018), Northeast Oklahoma A&M (2017) and Kansas (2016)…Overall, saw action in 35 collegiate games with 22 starts and posted 70 receptions for 1,173 yards (16.8 avg.) and 16 TDs…Majored in recreation, park and tourism sciences…Junior season (2018): Played in 13 games with 12 starts for the Aggies and set career highs in all categories, registering 48 receptions and an average of 17.3 yards per catch...Set single-season school records for TEs with 832 receiving yards and 10 TDs…Named a consensus All-American after earning first-team honors from AP, CBS Sports, Football Writers Association of America, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and Walter Camp and second-team recognition from USA Today…Earned first-team All-SEC honors from the coaches and AP...Finished No. 1 in the country among tight ends in receiving TDs and ranked No. 2 in receiving yards and yards per catch…Given the Offensive Top Newcomer Award, Offensive MVP Award and Strength and Conditioning Offensive Aggie Award at the annual team banquet…Earned team Most Valuable Player honors in the spring…Named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week in his first game as an Aggie, recording five catches for 56 yards (11.2 avg.) and two TDs vs Northwestern State (Aug. 30)…Named the Earl Rose Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week after posting four catches for a career-best 145 yards (36.3 avg.) and a TD at South Carolina (Oct. 13)…Sophomore season (2017): Earned first-team All-Southwestern Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) honors at Northeast Oklahoma A&M, appearing in 12 games with 10 starts and recording 21 catches for 336 yards (16.0 avg.) with six TDs…Finished tied for No. 4 in the conference in receiving TDs…Redshirt freshman season (2016): Saw action in 10 games at Kansas, recording one reception for 5 yards. Also contributed two tackles on special teams.
PERSONAL: Given name Jace Evan Sternberger…First name is pronounced JAYCE...Born in Enid, Okla. …Mother, Jackie, was a two-time All-American basketball player at Southwest Oklahoma State University…High school: Played both sides of the ball at Kingfisher (Okla.) High School, catching 42 passes for 390 yards (9.3 avg.) and eight TDs at tight end as a senior in 2014…Also played defensive end and posted 53 tackles, 23 tackles for a loss, 21 sacks, three forced fumbles and six pass breakups…Helped his team to a state championship in 2013 after recording nine catches for 191 yards (21.2 avg.) and four TDs on offense, while also securing 39 tackles, 6½ sacks, five pass breakups and four forced fumbles on defense…Earned nine letters during his time at Kingfisher, participating in basketball (three), football (three) and track (three)…Community involvement: Participated in the Green Bay Packers Give Back Bowling Event…Residence: Kingfisher, Okla.
